No. 1460 Flight RAF
Encyclopedia
No. 1460 Flight was formed at RAF Acklington
on 15 December 1941, equipped with Turbinlite
Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft.. The flight became operational in May 1942 and made its first and only contact with the enemy in June of that year. On operations they cooperated first with the Hawker Hurricane
s of 43 Squadron
and later with those of 1 Squadron
. The flight was replaced with 539 Squadron
on 2 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 23 January 1943.
539 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.
RAF Acklington
The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England....
on 15 December 1941, equipped with Turbinlite
Turbinlite
The Helmore/GEC Turbinlite was a 2,700 million candela searchlight fitted in the nose of a number of British Douglas Havoc night fighters during the early part of the Second World War and around the time of The Blitz....
Douglas Boston and Douglas Havoc aircraft.. The flight became operational in May 1942 and made its first and only contact with the enemy in June of that year. On operations they cooperated first with the Hawker Hurricane
Hawker Hurricane
The Hawker Hurricane is a British single-seat fighter aircraft that was designed and predominantly built by Hawker Aircraft Ltd for the Royal Air Force...
s of 43 Squadron
No. 43 Squadron RAF
No. 43 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron originally formed in 1916 as part of the Royal Flying Corps. It last operated the Panavia Tornado F3 from RAF Leuchars, Scotland in the air defence role until disbanded in July 2009.-In World War I:...
and later with those of 1 Squadron
No. 1 Squadron RAF
No. 1 Squadron is a squadron of the Royal Air Force. It operated the Harrier GR9 from RAF Cottesmore until 28 January 2011.The squadron motto is In omnibus princeps , appropriate for the RAF's oldest squadron and one that has been involved in almost every major British military operation since...
. The flight was replaced with 539 Squadron
No. 539 Squadron RAF
No. 539 Squadron RAF was one of the ten Turbinlite nightfighter squadrons of the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.-History:No. 539 Squadron was formed at RAF Acklington, Northumberland on 2 September 1942, from No. 1460 Flight, as part of No. 13 Group RAF in Fighter Command...
on 2 September 1942 but officially disbanded as late as 23 January 1943.
539 Sqn, which had taken over men and machines, carried on flying the Turbinlite Bostons and Havocs till the system was abandoned on 25 January 1943, when Turbinlite squadrons were, due to lack of success on their part and the rapid development of AI radar, thought to be superfluous.
Aircraft operated
| From | To | Aircraft | Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 December 1941 | 2 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.I |
| 15 December 1941 | 2 September 1942 | Douglas Havoc | Mk.I (Turbinlite) |
| 15 December 1941 | 2 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.I |
| 15 December 1941 | 2 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.II (Turbinlite) |
| 15 December 1941 | 2 September 1942 | Douglas Boston | Mk.III (Turbinlite) |
Flight bases
| From | To | Base |
|---|---|---|
| 15 December 1941 | 2 September 1942 | RAF Acklington RAF Acklington The former Royal Air Force Station Acklington, commonly known as RAF Acklington, was a Royal Air Force airfield airbase situated near Acklington, in Northumberland, England.... , Northumberland Northumberland Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region... |
Commanding officers
| From | To | Name |
|---|---|---|
| 15 December 1941 | March 1942 | S/Ldr. Squadron Leader Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these... G.J. Denholm, DFC Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom) The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against... |
| March 1942 | 2 September 1942 | S/Ldr. J.S. Morton, DFC |